Marsdale Drive home with St. Catharines history hits the market
It's the home Elizabeth Loomis waited years to buy.
Built in mid-20th century modernist style on Marsdale Drive in the old Glenridge neighbourhood of St. Catharines. Designed by a renowned Canadian architect. Two hundred seventy-eight square metres (3,000 square feet) of living space.
It even had good bloodlines, being previously owned by an acclaimed Canadian builder whose company helped construct the Shaw Festival theatre and Trent University in Peterborough.
There are four generations of my family that have lived in the south end of the city," says Loomis.
When I was a girl, I used to ride my bike up the road and park it in front of this house and study the architecture and look at it ... it was always my dream, if I ever could, to live in this house."
Now, she says, it's time to sell. The house has more space than she needs.
It has never actually been available on the open market since it was built about 1960.
Now it is - for $1.88 million.
The architect was James Secord, who received national attention for his design of the Lapierre house on Wood Dale Drive, just around the corner from Marsdale.
Loomis's house was designed around the same time, and in a similar style. The original owner was Robin Stewart, a founder of Stewart and Hinan Construction and later StuCor Construction.
Stewart and his wife, Yvette, still lived there around 2001 when Loomis was considering buying a house across the street.
When I walked out of that house, I looked across the street and said (to her realtor), I've always loved that house."
Her realtor happened to know the Stewarts, approached them out of the blue with Loomis's offer, and they agreed to sell it.
Robin Stewart was so passionate about this house that he wanted to choose the next people to come in and enjoy it, and to be assured we were going to respect its integrity. And we did," says Loomis. I'm thinking about him a lot right now.
Both he and his wife, Yvette, were very lovely people and he made a point of calling us for many, many months afterward after we bought the house, just to make sure everything was OK and we were calling the right people to do this and that."
An interior and graphic designer, Loomis put her stamp on it over the years without tinkering with the structure or layout.
The main living area has exposed beams and 18-foot ceiling; there are four wood-burning fireplaces; the kitchen has a 14-foot island that looks over the outdoor entertaining area - her friends call it command central" - through a wall of glass windows and doors.
In the backyard there is a pool, stone garden with fountain and a pull-down movie screen with video and audio systems.
With its ties to local history and distinct design, the house is one of St. Catharines' mid-century marvels," says Loomis.
Especially during COVID, almost every person that comes to deliver food, or anything at all, they sort of pop their head in and look around and they often say, This is the most beautiful house I've ever seen,'" she says.
And often I invite them in and show them around and they seem to appreciate it. It's something I've always enjoyed sharing."
Gord Howard is a St. Catharines-based reporter with the Standard. Reach him via email: gord.howard@niagaradailies.com